Business Support Unit

Purpose Statement

The Business Support Unit seeks to provide integrated business support services to existing and potential businesses in the eThekwini Municipality Area to enable them to undertake income-generating activities resulting in economic growth and job creation.

Strategic Objectives

• Promote a safe and healthy environment for business
• Improve the competitiveness of SMMEs through the business development support programme
• Provides opportunities for SMMEs to showcase their products and services
• Provide business to business networking and mentorship
• Facilitate and provide the infrastructure and premises for businesses in the Municipal Area through an incubation and rentals programme
• Provide referrals to appropriate government resources and quality development service providers, including assistance with business plans, access to markets, business skills, and finance.

Delivery Mechanisms
 Provides the management of the Informal Economy. It manages and support more than 8000 registered informal Traders. The policy to manage and support the informal economy was adopted by Council in 2002. It promotes dialogue between the Municipality and organization representing those who are operating in the informal sector. The municipality also provides training to informal traders and organizations representing them.

• Provides and support business support centers. The Unit has facilitated the establishment of Seda eThekwini. It provides an annual operating budget to this institution. It is currently working with Seda to provide satellite offices in remote areas within eThekwini.
• It provides Business Support Development Programs. It is currently providing secondary support to agriculture, tourism, construction, manufacturing, arts and craft, skills to women in business, and supports young entrepreneurs. As part of this program it also provides incubators, and small business units.
• Facilitates access to markets by supporting SMMEs to participate in local and international exhibition. The Unit organizes the annual eThekwini SMME Fair. The Fair is divided into three categories, which is the Exhibition, Business Networking Sessions, and Workshops. The number of SMMEs that participate in both regional and annual Fair is more than 400, and the number of visitors is more than 8000.
• It assists SMMEs to access international markets. It has facilitated the creation of the Durban Trade Point which is an institution tasked to assist SMMEs with exporting their products.
• It facilitates the promotion of Targeted Procurement Policy. It facilitates the provision of necessary skills to SMMEs to be able to access business opportunities within the Municipality. 
• It formulates strategies and policies for SMME development. Overall the Strategy and Policy section addresses strategies, policies, by-laws, programs and projects that meet the Units objectives, namely a vibrant and sustainable SMME sector that lends itself to economic growth and job creation